Daily Republican., 1887-09-17
FIFTH EDITION.,
a ThitKiBLK TKA0EDY.

place at an early hour this morning in
the Ninth ward, the facts as far as
cJuld be ascertained, being as follows:
About six months ago q German named
Henry Riedtl removed with his wife |
and child to three, story brick house
1t No 20 Lammotte street, owned by |
John U. Kolck,
Rebel and his wife both obtained en-
piOy meut 1T the Arlington Mills, while |
tteir little boy Willie. aged 9 years, at.
tended school. They contin ued to work |
there until about ono week ago, when |
the woman had some difficulty with one |
Of the bosses and WAS discharged, and |
on that account the husband quit.
On Tuesday Biedel with his wife and |
child went 10 Philsdelphix 10 witness
the Oonsennisl psrades. They remain.
cd until last evening, when they re.
turned home about 8 o'clock, AND no,h.
ing further WAS heard OF them until
about LAO O'Clock this morning. One
Of the neighbors says that when Riedel
ing been on spree, but others say that
they never knew him to drink, bey ond
taking an occasional glass OF beer.
About 4C O'Clock this morning Mrs.
Erby p. Davis. who lives Immediately
next door, st No. 81, was awakened BY
o noise In Rieoel's and she called her
husband. Upon getting mp she went to
her front window and had barely
reached 1t when she heard the report of
pistol and saw the fash In the second
story room next door. Immediately
after wards she heard both the man and
woman Rroanipg.
Mrs Davis. who is troubled with pal
pitation OF the heart, became very ner.
vous, and with her husband went down
stairs, but after remaining there for
some time and not hearing anything
further they returned TO their bed. She,
however, 10 certain that she heard tome
one groaning next door after she went
back TO bed. As Mrs. Davis did not
hear any ono stirring around In Rieders
when she got up this Inorning she sent
for the andlord, who lives ut No. 26,
and the summons WAS answered by his
wife, who wanted Mrs Davis to 40 in
Riede's with her. She declined to do
so, when Mrs. Kolck went aud peeped
In the window, and waa horriiied TO see
Riedel with q gaping wound In the
right side OF his forehead, from which
he WAS wiping the blood with o towel
She immet lately gave the alarm and q
crowd collected In front OF the houss,
when the murderer oame to tAe door
with bis revolver IN hand, and threat.
ened to shoot them unlets they d is.
persed.
Mrs. Davis then sent one OF her ch IL
dren for polics officer, and he found
Officer Sherry, who reached the house
about O'Clock. When he attem pied
70 enter Riedel raised his pistol and
threatened to shoot, hut was deterred
by the officer, who drew his own re
volver and ordered him to surrender ct
| once. As Riedel was quite weak from
the loss Of blood Officer Sherry had q
telephone message sent to police sta
ton for assistence, and the summons
WAS responded TO by Chief Dougherty
and several OF the officers. In the
meantime Officer Sherry procured o
buggy and started with his prisoner 10
the hall, while the news OF the murder
| rapidly spread.
A reporter OF the REPUBLICAN Inn
mediately proceeded TO the place, which
10 back Of the Arlington Mills. The
house 10 three story brick with seven
rooms, including the kitchen. 1t was
In charge Of Officer O'Neill and several
others, who admitted the reporter to the
charnel house, where q few hours before
this most terrible tragedy had been
committed.
1t Is 8 cold, cheerless place, with no
evidences OF any of the surroundings
that tend to make home happy. The
floors are without carpet, and as the
reporter walked up the carpetless stairs
the echo OF his footsteps resounded
through the house. Upon proceeding
10 the front room on the second floor a
CHASTITY sight met his eyes. On straw
bed lay the murdered wife and child
both shot In the head, while their blood
had saturated the pillows and bed and
then run through to the carpetless floor,
where 1t lay In great clotted pools, .
sickening sight. The woman Jay on
her back with her arms folded over her
breast, and had 1t not been for the great
Rhastly wound In her forehead would
have looked rs though enjoying q calm,
peaceful sleep.
The boy, who Is represented by the
neighbors rs being OF o, sweet disposi
tion, Icy on his left side, with 0 wound
In his head, from which the blood and
brains were still ozing. His little
hands were clasped together, and Ii was
plainly evident that both he and h is
mother had boen killed while sleeping.
The only furniture In this room was
the bedbtead and straw bed on which
| =
chair.
In the back room on the same foo
there was o single beds:ead, aud fIom
the blood on the pillows IL was evident
that after Riedel had m urdertd his wife
and child, and attem pted to take his
own life, he had laid down there, hut
Afterwards got up and staggered back
to the room where the bodies lay, /,
there are blood marks on the door OF the
front room, and on the wall, while The
floor has . number OF stains where the
blood poured from the wound In bis
head. The pistol with which the deed
was committed is What Is known as the
British bull dog. ard is 44-calib.e, with
five chambers, all OF which were empty
when he was arrested.
From the appearance of the bodies 1t
is thought that he leaned over the bed
and shot his wife first. and then, before
his boy could move, sent o bullet
crashing through his brains. The pie
tol must have been held very close to
their heads, rs the pillows are ,bac ksned
with the po wder. The pillow on which
the boy rested is stained with blood ut
the upper part, showing that after
| R;edel had committed the deed aud
shot himself, he had laid down with
the dead bodies Of his wife and son.
The wound In his head is not serious,
| as he held the pistol in such a way Il ct
the ball glanced off, and only plous he'd
lis way through the FISH. After being
taken to police ststion he conversed
freely, and said that as he ana his wife
wsre out OF work, ard would have to
move. he thought 1t woald be better for
them all to die than to have TO be
m loving around, and maybe suffer be.
fore the winter was over.